The present invention, relating generally to an agricultural baler for forming cylindrical bales of crop material, commonly referred to as a round baler, is specifically directed to an apparatus for ejecting the bale from the baler following bale formation to provide clearance for baler tailgate operation. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a bale kicker apparatus that allows the tailgate opening and closing cycle to occur as quickly as possible.
For many years agricultural balers have been used to consolidate and package crop material so as to facilitate the storage and handling of the crop material for later use. Usually, a mower-conditioner cuts and conditions the crop material for windrow drying in the sun. When the cut crop material is properly dried, a baler is pulled along the windrows to pick up the crop material and form it into conveniently sized and shaped round bales. More specifically, the windrow pickup of the baler gathers the cut and windrowed crop material and lifts it into the baling chamber. In a round baler, the baling chamber consists of a pair of opposing sidewalls with a series of belts that rotate and compress the crop material into a cylindrical shape. When the bale has achieved a desired size and density, the operator wraps the bale to ensure that the bale maintains its shape and density. The operator then raises the tailgate of the baler and the bale is ejected onto the ground, generally urged by a kicker apparatus. The tailgate is then closed and the cycle repeated as necessary and desired to manage the field of cut crop material. A representative example of a round baler of this type is the round baler of U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,587, by Richard E. Jennings, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
When ejecting a bale, it is important to insure that the bale has rolled clear of the open tailgate before closing the tailgate to resume baling. It is also important for the cycle time for opening and closing the tailgate to be as short as possible to minimize unproductive time in the field. Experience with mechanical spring kicker devices has shown that known examples do not provide sufficient force to move the bale away from the tailgate swing area as quickly as is desired. Experience with known hydraulically actuated kickers is a tendency to slow movement of the tailgate resulting in increased tailgate opening and closing cycle time.
It would be a great advantage to provide a bale kicker apparatus for a round baler capable of ejecting a finished bale from the baler in minimal time without interfering with the opening and closing cycle of the baler tailgate that overcomes the above-identified problems and disadvantages.